Speedwork: A Mind Game

I’ll admit to being slack in updating my blog recently. But this is a direct consequence of two other things that are abundantly more important: I’ve been running more (thus a major reason for the blog in the first place) and getting my act (and paperwork) together, in order to apply for a position in graduate school (and hopefully receive a Master of Arts in Teaching). Will I let my fear of needles stand in the way of my gaining access to school, which requires a recent record of immunizations? Hmm…. As for running, I put 128.58 miles on my legs in June, a far cry from the 199.3 I put on them in May. This is primarily a result of my tapering for my unsuccessful 50-miler, as well as some general laziness/recovery during the five days I was cruising. But I’m doing much better this month (49.07 miles at current count), and was pleased with how I felt during a 25-mile run (3:41:31; 8:52 pace) I logged on Tuesday. I’ll try and log a run closer to 30 miles/4:15:00-4:30:00 early next week, then begin to taper again shortly thereafter—go for quality workouts, rather than quantity. So, what does “quality” constitute for me? Well, besides working to keep my legs loose and “used to running” (i.e. slowly reducing the miles I run each week), I’ll also be implementing once or twice-weekly speed/track workouts. Why add speed workouts in to ultramarathon training at all, let alone just a few of them at the very end of a training cycle? Because I need to get my head right. Period. For me, a well-run track workout works wonders (alliteration not intended, but gladly accepted); knowing that my legs have still got speed/strength in them (ego boost), that my body can still take the punishment I dole out and keep on chugging right along (positive reinforcement), and that my mind can still be “talked into” letting me complete a rigorous workout (I rule the roost!) is a tremendous advantage for a runner that may (and will likely) be doubting any, if not all, of these throughout an ultramarathon. Just like in training, there are peaks and valleys during a race—we all embrace the peaks, but many of us are so afraid of the valleys that we stop when we encounter them. It’s those of us that can keep running through them, realizing that we’re sure to reach another peak again, that are therein able to see what we’re truly made of. This is why I run. Of course, I’m just hoping I find I’m made of an indelible spirit…rather than “poop,” like my mom keeps telling me.